04 House of Humphrey
by brentus
Summary: In the aftermath of the creation of Gossip Girl, Jenny Humphrey becomes Queen at the expense of Blair, Chuck, and Serena's reputations. How will Constance deal with a freshman Queen from Brooklyn?
1. Sex, Lies, and Scandal

**Sex, Lies, and Scandal**

If anyone had told Dan Humphrey how the last three weeks would play out, he would have called them crazy. After all, who could anyone have foreseen the events that unfolded?

_Three weeks ago..._

Dan was having lunch with his friend, Nate Archibald, and Nate's friend, Serena van der Woodsen. She had just come over to them, devastated and in tears. Apparently, she had just had an argument with some of her classmates, Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass. Dan knew them by name and reputation only. As far as he could tell, they were awful people. They were everything that was wrong with the Upper East Side. They were arrogant with a sense of entitlement, and they, for some reason, were friends with his sister.

In this crazy world, the only thing Dan really had was his younger sister, Jenny. She was blonde and beautiful, and reminded him of his mother, who had died four years earlier. They were close, or at least they had been, and everything he did was for her. He wished she would see Blair and Chuck for what they were, but she simply wouldn't. However, the fates had taken a turn, and simply minutes before, she departed their table. Dan hoped this was a sign of what was to come. He had no idea how right he was.

Dan, Serena, and Nate's phones all rang at the same time. If it wasn't for the fact that Dan always had his phone on him as a precaution in case Jenny needed him, he would never have checked it. It was a text message from someone he'd never heard of before. This was a surprise, given that no one knew Dan's number. It appeared Serena and Nate received a very similar text message.

"Who is Gossip Girl?" Serena wondered aloud.

Nate shrugged.

"I have no idea."

The text message contained a link to a website. Dan clicked on it and was brought to a website called "Gossip Girl. He'd never heard of the site before, and, apparently, neither had Serena or Nate.

Normally, Dan wouldn't have checked the link, but lately lunches between him and Nate had been awkward. Earlier that week, they kissed in a moment of passion and confusion. Since then, they had attempted to act casual, but it was clear things weren't okay. Neither boy wanted to talk about it, though, and Serena was a welcome distraction. Now, Gossip Girl could distract all of them.

The article on the website caught his attention when he saw Serena's name in it. He wasn't sure why she would be mentioned, but he sure was curious to learn.

"Hello, Upper East Siders. My name is Gossip Girl, and have I got news for you!

Ever wonder why SERENA VAN DER WOODSEN left our hallowed hallways for boarding school just a year ago? I know I have, and now that I know, I'm in a mood to share. It turns our former wild child has a child of her own. While that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows her, what might be a shocker is the baby daddy's name. For his own protection, I won't say, but I will let you know that it is a member of the faculty at Constance Billard. Looks like someone was hot for teacher!

Serena isn't the only person who has skeletons in her closet. CHUCK BASS has been hiding the mother of all secrets in his spacious closet. A secret this big demands a walk-in. Has anyone ever noticed that the Basses are always out of town? I would be, too, if I found out that I'd married my cousin and had a son with her. They may not have known at the time, but that doesn't change the facts that Chuck may one day sprout gills.

There's one person who will always love Chuck, though, and that's BLAIR WALDORF. After all, a girl always remembers her first time. While she was dating Nate Archibald, Blair slept with Chuck. Is there anything a Bass won't do? Oh, and it should come as no surprise that she's bulemic. Time to fill up on humble pie, Blair. Let's see if you can't keep it down.

Till next time.

Xoxo,

Gossip Girl"

Dan looked up at Nate and Serena. They were stunned.

As the weeks passed, Blair, Serena, and Chuck became social pariahs. Nate became a recluse and refused to associate with anyone, and Jenny sky-rocketed to the status of Queen at Constance Billard, whatever that meant. Dan was left to watch in awe and wonder what the Hell had happened.


	2. All About Jenny

**All About Jenny**

Jenny sat at a table in one of the courtyards of Constance Billard with some of her new friends: Isabelle, Kati, Penelope, Hazel, and Nelly Yuki. She'd known Isabelle and Kati for some time, but Penelope, Hazel, and Nelly Yuki were new faces. She still couldn't believe that she was suddenly the Queen of Constance Billard, one of the most elusive and prestigious schools on the Upper East Side.

Three weeks ago, Jenny helped a strange girl named Georgina start a website called Gossip Girl. The entire point of Gossip Girl was to spread gossip about classmates in the school. That's what the site claimed, anyway. In actuality, Georgina had created it to ruin the reputations of her former classmates, Blair Waldorf, Chuck Bass, and Serena van der Woodsen.

Jenny was not normally the kind of girl who would do something like this, but Chuck and Blair had taken advantage of her one night and had the video to prove it. Jenny didn't quite see the entire video, but she could tell where it was going.

She wanted to tell someone, but she didn't have proof. She was smart enough to know that people like Blair and Chuck would be able to protect themselves. It was hopeless. Then came Georgina.

When Jenny had first met Georgina, she posed as a sympathetic girl named Sarah. Sarah/Georgina had weaseled little tidbits of information about Blair, Chuck, and Serena to supply her new website, Gossip Girl. For reasons unknown to Jenny, Georgina wanted the fact that it was her who took Blair, Chuck, and Serena down to remain a secret. She instead passed the benefits on to Jenny.

It was somewhat surprising that Vanessa didn't get any rewards, although Jenny doubted she would have taken them. Vanessa Abrams was a former friend of Jenny's brother, Dan, and she was the least-liked girl in school. While Jenny still wasn't sure why Vanessa even helped, she didn't care enough to ask. The thought of talking with Vanessa was nauseating.

Although the topic came up briefly, Jenny still wasn't convinced that she might need to one day repay Georgina. Georgina insisted it was nothing, but Jenny doubted this. After all, Georgina had launched an unprovoked attack on three of her former peers. Clearly, Georgina was unstable. However, Georgina said she was leaving, and, as far as Jenny knew, she had, but not before she helped Jenny attain status she would never have otherwise: Queen.

She suspected this was why Kati and Isabelle were now her friends. Either they respected her authority, or they were bullied into it by Georgina. Either way, her new status attracted the three other girls who sat at her table. Together, they were the most powerful clique in school.

"So, Jenny, what are we doing this weekend?" Penelope wondered.

"This weekend?"

"Yeah," Hazel interjected, "It's Halloween. What's the plan?"

Jenny wasn't sure. She didn't realize it was her responsibility to come up with a plan. Clearly, Penelope and Hazel saw this as a sign of weakness. They exchanged wicked grins.

"Jenny was actually telling me she wanted to have a party," Isabelle spoke up quickly.

"Really?" Penelope pressed, "What a great idea! Where were you thinking of having it?"

"We could have it at my place," she offered feebly.

Hazel and Nelly Yuki snickered.

"Why not? I've never been to Brooklyn before. That's the one across the bridge, right?" Penelope jeered.

"Yes," Jenny reluctantly answered.

"That sounds great. Be sure to text us the details later. Girls?"

Hazel and Nelly Yuki rose to join Penelope, and together the three of them strode off.

"Well, that didn't take long," Kati commented.

"What?" Jenny asked.

"Penelope is trying to move in on your title. It's only been a week and already she has you pegged as weak."

"She's not wrong," Jenny muttered.

Kati and Isabelle exchanged glances. It was clear they weren't comfortable with the situation.

"Look, Jenny, normally I wouldn't care about a freshman from Brooklyn, but Georgina has made it very apparent that if we don't help you achieve Queen and maintain it, that we could find ourselves on Gossip Girl. Neither of us wants that, so we'll give you some advice," Kati offered.

"Okay."

"You have an uphill battle. You're a freshman, and you're from Brooklyn. You need these girls to take you seriously, otherwise your title will be yanked out from underneath you. If that happens, we may not be able to help you get it back, and Georgina would be really mad at us. We have to beat Penelope at her own game," Kati summarized.

"How?" Jenny wondered, "I have nothing. I can't compete with her."

"Yes, you can, you just have to find her weakness. Tell me, what's the one thing nobody in our group has?"

"Compassion?"

Kati smiled vaguely.

"A boyfriend. Penelope has a huge crush on Nate Archibald, but he doesn't even know who she is. I mean, I think he might have one class with her, but they don't talk."

"Nate? I know him. He's friends with my brother."

"Precisely," Kati continued, "If you can land yourself Nate Archibald before Penelope (which should be pretty simple), then you'll show her that you're a force to be reckoned with."

"I can't… Blair would kill me-"

"Blair is no one. She can't touch you," Kati assured her.

Jenny sighed.

"He wouldn't. I'm just a freshman-"

"You leave Nate to us," Kati offered.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," Kati promised, "We'll just help him see how much he has to gain by helping you."

"What if I introduced him to Penelope instead? She might like me more-"

"Being Queen isn't about being liked," Kati corrected, "They either have to fear your or respect you. Either way, this will send a clear message to Penelope."

Jenny supposed that made sense. It seemed like a very risky move, though. What if Nate said no? What if Penelope took him from her? She wasn't ready for this.

"You're scared," Kati realized, "I get it. If I was in your shoes, I would be, too. You have one thing that no Queen before you has, though."

"What's that?"

"A crazy bitch who just happens to be the owner of a popular gossip site as your friend. Posts on Gossip Girl are coming in faster than ever. No one wants to cross her, not even us, so we'll make sure you land on top. Just be sure to show up."

Jenny nodded.

"Now, let's go in. With only us three sitting here, we look pathetic."

Jenny rose and found herself walking a little taller. Perhaps she could pull it off after all.


	3. New World Order

**New World Order**

Nate never would have thought the day would come when he'd miss Chuck or Blair. In the weeks following the launch of Gossip Girl, Nate did his best to distance himself from his former best friend and his ex-girlfriend. Not that he needed much motivation. They hadn't been talking all that much anyway, and this was just further incentive.

Nate couldn't help but feel partly bad for them. He always knew Blair was bulimic. While he didn't know for sure that she'd slept with Chuck, it wasn't surprising. He always figured she was attracted to him, even if she didn't realize it. Besides, just before he started dating Blair just over a year ago, he lost his virginity to Serena van der Woodsen and she disappeared shortly after, so who was he to judge?

He wished he'd known then that she was leaving. He would have stopped her. Not because he cared about her – although he did – but because it suddenly occurred to him that she might have been pregnant with his child. They hadn't used a condom that night. She left because she was pregnant. She took off to have an abortion, and she didn't. How could she have kept this from him all this time? What if it was his? He had a right to know.

That was the double-edged sword, though. How was Nate to get more information without attracting attention to himself? What if it came out? Or worse, what if someone found out that he kissed Dan Humphrey in a moment of confusion? There was so much on the line, and he saw how badly gossip could destroy you.

Blair was no longer Queen of the school, Jenny Humphrey was. While Serena's return was hardly the warm welcome she was expecting, it was clear that she hadn't anticipated everyone finding out her secrets. She constantly looked like she was crying, and had even less friends than before. As for Chuck, Nate hadn't seen him since in nearly three weeks.

Nate felt the worst for Chuck. Despite any disagreements they may have had in the future, no one deserved what had happened to him. Gossip Girl claimed that Chuck's mother and father were cousins. They didn't know it sooner, and they had Chuck. After they found out, it was too late. That couldn't be true, though, could it? No. It was impossible!

The Bass Empire suffered bad publicity. People weren't sure if they wanted to do business with them anymore. Other tycoons ridiculed Bartholomew Bass, and some even claimed that he did know that Misty was his cousin. It was awful. Chuck had since withdrawn from the public eye and was nowhere to be seen.

The events had shaken Nate to the point where he was afraid to approach any of them. First, what would he say? Second, how long would it take before he became a target himself?

The school day ended and Nate found himself walking away to clear his head.

"Nate," a desperate voice called, "Nate!"

He groaned as he debated whether or not he was going to stop. He felt sorry for Blair and Chuck, but he wasn't sure he was ready to talk to Serena. Not yet, anyway.

"Nate, please! Stop and talk to me."

He sighed, stopped, and turned to face her. She had stopped to see if he would stop. It was clear neither of them knew how this would pan out. She stared at him hesitantly before approaching.

"What do you want?" he asked coolly.

"Nate, please don't tell me I've lost you, too," she pleaded, "I've already lost Blair and Chuck. I couldn't stand to lose you, too."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have gone to boarding school without notice," he shot.

"I deserve that, I know, but I want us to be friends. Before Gossip Girl, it seemed like maybe…"

"I don't know," he admitted.

"Is it because of what she said?" Serena wondered, "You don't believe Gossip Girl, do you?"

This made Nate wondered. He had always accepted Gossip Girl to be true. Could she have simply been lying?

"Well, you haven't gone on record to defend yourself," Nate pointed out, "I assumed…"

Serena looked away uncomfortably.

"I… I wanted to tell you, to tell everyone, I was just… scared…"

"So, it's true, then?" he pressed.

She nodded, still avoiding eye contact.

"You're not who I thought you were, Serena. I don't know if I can be friends with you."

"Please, try," she insisted nearly on the verge of tears.

Nate sighed: again, tears. That's when some unexpected faces began approaching him and Serena. It was Isabelle and Kati. They used to follow Blair around. Now they were Jenny's friends. What did they want?

Kati and Isabelle scowled at Serena as they passed her and stood before Nate.

"Nate, can we talk to you?" Kati requested.

"Alone," Isabelle interjected as she threw a nasty look at Serena.

Nate hesitated. While he didn't want to talk to Serena, he doubted Kati and Isabelle were making a social call. Still, he was curious to hear what they had to say.

"Sure," he agreed as he looked at Serena.

She stared back and shook her head.

"Fine," she snapped as she turned and walked away.

Kati smiled at him.

"Good choice. We have a proposition for you, Nate."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Our friend, Jenny – you know, Jenny Humphrey – is hosting a party this weekend, and-"

"You were wondering if I would be your date? Not likely. That goes for both of you."

Isabelle frowned. Kati laughed lightly.

"Hardly. We want you to be Jenny's date."

"Jenny? You want me to go on a date with a freshman?"

"A freshman from Brooklyn," Kati corrected, nodding.

Nate admitted that he thought she was cute, but it was more in a younger sister way than anything else. Besides, she was Dan's sister. While he and Dan weren't talking, he doubted it would be a good idea to show up to his house as Jenny's date.

"I'm sorry, I can't," he replied finally, "I'm busy."

Kati nodded.

"I thought you might be."

"Then why ask?"

"Because I wanted to give you a chance to save yourself before I had to remind you that you have skeletons in your closet, too."

Nate froze. They didn't know that he and Dan had…

"Your parents. They're separated, aren't they? They don't even share a bed anymore. Oh, and you slept with your previous maid, Juliana, while you were dating Blair," Kati recited.

And I kissed Dan Humphrey, Nate thought.

"So?"

"Wouldn't it be a shame if Gossip Girl found out? Three of your former best friends were destroyed in one day. Imagine how long it would take before you were like them."

And what if someone found out about him and Dan?

"You wouldn't."

"Frankly, I don't want to, but Jenny needs a date. It may as well be the hottest guy at school."

"While I appreciate the flattery, why doesn't Jenny just ask a boy her own age?"

"It's her first social party. Besides, she wasn't even going to ask you. I think she was too shy."

"So, you're acting independently?"

"Pretty much."

"Aren't you afraid that your new Queen might not take kindly to you going behind her back?"

Kati laughed.

"Please, Jenny can hardly plan a function. She hasn't found her footing, yet."

Nate was confused. Jenny wasn't calling the shots, and they were still doing her bidding? This didn't sound like them.

"Then why help her? I figured one of you might want Queen."

"We have our reasons," Kati answered enigmatically, "Look we could go back and forth all day, but what would be the point? This ends in one of two ways: you say yes and we leave, or you say no and end up the next social leper. What's it going to be?"

As certain as he was that he would regret it, Nate knew he had no choice. He couldn't risk being on Gossip Girl.

"I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Everyone has a choice," Kati replied, "And you just made the right one. See you around, Archibald."


	4. Enough

**Enough**

Blair groaned as she rolled over and turned her alarm off. She sat in bed, staring at the ceiling. The old Blair would have been up five minutes before her alarm went off. She would have begun preparing herself for her classes, and she would have made sure that she looked great before she left. That was then, this was now. Now, there was hardly a point. Who would notice or care if she didn't show up to school?

She pulled her covers back over her head and began lamenting over her former life. She'd had everything: a hot boyfriend, the title of Queen, and the best grades in school. Sure, she still had good grades, but what did it matter if she didn't have everything else that went with it? Without status, she was no better than that brainy know-it-all Nelly Yuki. And even Nelly Yuki seemed to be faring better than Blair.

Nelly Yuki found herself at the same table as the new Queen, Jenny Humphrey. Exactly how Jenny managed to hoodwink Blair's former friends into following her was a mystery. The old Blair would have been intrigued and would have dug to find out. The new Blair didn't care, though. It didn't matter. Nothing did.

It was curious, though. Why would anyone want to follow Jenny Humphrey? She was nobody! She was a freshman from Brooklyn, for crying out loud! It didn't make sense.

It was all because Jenny Humphrey wasn't on that stupid site, Gossip Girl! Blair, Chuck, and Serena were all featured on it, and since then, their lives went to Hell. If it wasn't for the fact that both Chuck and Serena were also featured, she might have suspected them. She imagined they suspected her, and they were right to: she would have suspected herself if she was them.

What disturbed her wasn't the fact that she was on Gossip Girl, but the intimate details of their lives that Gossip Girl, whoever she, or he, was. Gossip Girl knew things about Chuck and Serena that Blair had learned only moments before. Who else was in on their private lives? It didn't make sense!

Blair had a few suspects in mind, with Jenny Humphrey being at the top of the list. It made perfect sense: she hated Blair and Chuck, and she probably saw Serena as a threat. Of course, anyone who knew Serena knew she didn't have what it took to be Queen. That was never Serena. Serena would rather be the girl on Page Six. Since their downfall, Jenny prospered in ways that were unprecedented, and, frankly, unnatural. A freshman from Brooklyn as Queen? How did that happen?

Sure, Jenny had motive, but Blair doubted her capability. Jenny didn't strike her as particularly brainy. It was unlikely that Jenny could have created Gossip Girl alone. But who would have helped her? Who would want to take Blair down that much?

The simple answer was everyone: everyone was jealous of her, and they were right to be. Still, no one gained as much as Jenny, so why help?

Curiously enough, Kati and Isabelle, Blair's former minions, had latched on to the new Queen. If it wasn't for the fact that Blair knew those girls clung to the spotlight and not a person, she might have suspected them. In addition, she wasn't sure either girl knew how to turn on a computer. Still, if things ever turned around, Blair would have to remember their lack of loyalty.

Things would never be the same, though, and Blair knew it. She was no one. She was an outcast. People used to respect her, they used to fear her, and they used to worship her. Now they all looked down on her like she was, well, Jenny Humphrey. It was awful!

No, today Blair would stay home from school. She may not have had a physical ailment, but she was certainly under enough mental anguish to warrant a personal day.

"Daddy, I don't feel well," Blair called, "Please call the school and have Dorota pick up my homework later."

"Very well," her father called back.

Blair sat in her bed and looked at a picture that was on her desk.

She wasn't sure why she hadn't thrown it away. It was of her, Serena, Nate, and Chuck. They were at a school charity event in their sophomore year. Georgina Sparks had taken the picture. Blair imagined she wanted to be in the picture, but Blair would never allow that. No matter how good of friends she and Serena were, Georgina was not one of them. Fortunately, Georgina left over a year ago and hadn't been heard from since.

It was strange looking at the picture. It was almost as though she was staring at a picture of someone else's life. Who were those people? They looked so happy. She saw herself smiling and felt sad…

But only for a moment. The more she thought on it, the more upset she became. The old Blair would never have taken this lying in bed. The old Blair would have rallied, and she would have fought to get the title she'd earned. This new girl was pathetic, and Blair would not have that be who she was. She was still Blair Waldorf, after all. No one could take that away from her!

She reached over and grabbed her phone. They hadn't spoken in weeks, but she could think of one person who would want to help. She sighed as she called.

"Are you high?" an annoyed voice asked after several rings.

"Hello to you, too, Chuck."

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"What do you want?"

"I want to take down Jenny Humphrey," Blair answered sharply, "I know it was her. She is behind the blasts. It has to be her!"

"Is that so?"

"It makes sense. If you'd been at school the last few weeks, you would have seen just how far she's come since that video. I've been thinking about this for weeks, and I keep coming to the same conclusions: she did it."

"Could be. Either way, I can't help you, Blair."

"Since when is Chuck Bass scared of a freshman from Brooklyn?"

"I'm not scared of her, Blair. I can't help you because I'm not even in the country."

"What?"

"After the blast came out, and word spread, my father pulled me out of school. He had me moved to one of his other hotels while he tries to sort this out with the heads of the company."

"So, where are you?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that it's unlikely that I'll be coming back."

"You're not coming back?"

"I can't. My parents won't let me. Even if they would, I wouldn't want to. There's nothing for me in New York."

Blair was surprised that this hurt. While it was true that Chuck told Serena her secret, she had secretly hoped that on some level they might reconnect. She really was nothing to him, and perhaps it was time to accept that.

"I never thought I'd see the day that Chuck Bass bowed down," she stated coolly.

Chuck laughed. It was sad and sounded distant.

"Nice try, Blair."

"So, that's it?"

"I suppose it is. I know this might be too late, and it probably won't mean anything, but I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for the way I treated you before."

"Really?"

"I've had a lot of time to think since I left and… I'm sorry."

He meant to say something else, she knew it, but she wasn't going to push him. She'd been through enough because of Chuck Bass.

"Well, it is too late, and it isn't worth much. At any rate, thank you."

"You're welcome. Take care, Blair. I'll miss you."

She ended the call and wiped a stubborn tear away. She wasn't going to let Chuck Bass make her cry, not again. In fact, from this moment on, no one would make her cry again, she would make damn sure of that.


	5. Lost Boy

**Lost Boy**

Chuck stared at his phone as Blair hung up on him. He wasn't surprised that she'd done it. He expected her to, and was somewhat relieved to see that she hadn't disappointed him. He wanted to have this discussion with her, but it was something they needed to do face to face, not over the phone. Not like this.

Chuck's father pulled him out of school almost immediately after the Gossip Girl site went live. He found out that the Bass's dark family secret had become public, and he needed to move Chuck. If it wasn't for the fact that Chuck knew his father well enough, he might have mistaken this as an act of compassion: Bart Bass was protecting his son. That wasn't the case, though, and Chuck knew it. Bart didn't want his son to be anywhere near the media. Chuck needed to disappear, and Bart would make that happen. Less than two days later, Chuck was confined to the Bass's hotel in Monaco. He had been there ever since.

It's amazing how time can help a confused young man sort through his priorities. At first, he cursed the names Jenny Humphrey and Georgina Sparks. He knew it was them, and he tried to tell his father this. Unfortunately, his father wouldn't listen. He wanted nothing to do with Chuck while he worked through this crisis.

Chuck wasn't entirely alone, though. Bart flew his younger brother, Jack, in from Australia to make sure Chuck didn't stray. Bart knew he couldn't trust Chuck to lash out, and he was right.

Fortunately for Chuck, Jack didn't seem crazy about this arrangement. Chuck often heard him arguing quietly with Bart on the phone. What they were arguing about, he didn't know. Jack probably wanted to return to his hotel so he could manage it. Or maybe he wanted to help take on the scandal. Whatever the case, Jack remained and kept his distance from Chuck.

This was fine for Chuck; he didn't want to talk to anyone. As time passed, he had time to reflect on the events of the last few weeks. Everything had fallen apart, and it was all Jenny and Georgina's fault…

Or was it? Had he not played his part in transforming Jenny from a nobody freshman from Brooklyn into a young girl who wanted to take him down? And Georgina Sparks? He knew how crazy she was. Why did he turn to her? To destroy Serena?

He wondered how Serena was coping? He would never have admitted this to anyone if they'd asked, but he had no intention of revealing Serena's secret. As much as they didn't see eye to eye, a tiny part of him cared about her and didn't want to destroy her life. He just wanted her out of the picture. She was always interfering.

If it wasn't for the fact that she always got in his way, he might have been endeared by the fact that they had that in common. It wasn't cute or sweet, though, it was annoying.

It was annoying how she was always distracting Nate. While Chuck wasn't gay and wasn't in love with Nate, he did care about his best friend. Sure, he was always doing his best to control Nate, but that was because Nate was lost. He didn't know what he was doing in life, and if he wasn't careful, he'd either lose everything or end up like one of his parents. Which parent would be worse to end up as was anyone's call.

Nate deserved better, and Chuck wanted to help him get there. At first, he thought maybe Blair would be a good match for Nate. She was aware of herself, and very socially conscious. She could prove to be a very good match for him. As they dated, though, Blair became very demanding and controlling. It was clear that Nate didn't love this, but he said nothing. After all, he had no one else. Serena was gone.

Chuck found himself doubting the validity of Nate and Blair as a couple. They weren't a good match. Blair wanted arm candy, and Nate couldn't stand up for himself. Eventually, they would end up like… either of their parents: divorced or separated. It surprised Chuck that he actually cared. He was even more surprised that it was Blair he was worried about.

Chuck would never have claimed to love anyone, but if he did, it might have been Blair. She was ferocious and beautiful. She was determined and she seemed the closest to not being afraid of him. She wasn't stupid enough to outright disobey him, but she did try him from time to time. It was sexy.

Not only that, she was the only person who saw him for him. That night they spent together when Nate was in Connecticut was a surprise to Chuck. He didn't expect to enjoy himself, but as they talked, he found out that she was fun, and sweet, and that she had a wild side yearning to break free. He had to help her find herself, and he would find his way into her.

They had sex, and he filmed it. He filmed everyone, why should Blair be an exception? Since then, he knew he had her. It was important to him that she knew he was in control. She couldn't be allowed to leave him, not like everyone else…

That didn't matter back then. Chuck didn't want to think about why he needed to control everyone. He didn't care. As long as he maintained control, he was fine.

He had none anymore, though. He only had his thoughts and his thoughts haunted him.

None of his friends had tried to contact him for weeks. He never expected them to. After everything he'd done, he deserved to be alone. Still, seeing Blair calling him was a pleasant surprise. Then, of course, he opened his mouth.

Why couldn't he tell Blair the truth? Why did he have to pretend not to care? Why didn't he just tell her the truth? He was in love with her, and it was only now that he was willing to accept it.

Chuck had spent so much of his life not caring about anyone or anything that when he finally was in love, he couldn't recognize it. He didn't know what love was, and as a result, he threw it away. He was certain that on some level, Blair loved him, too.

Was it him, though, or was it who he appeared to be? Would she love him if she knew how he felt? Could she ever love that Chuck Bass? No one else had before, so why would she be any different? No matter how Chuck looked at it, he was alone…


End file.
